Ink pen refill with diversely colored gel ink layers and method of manufacture

Abstract

An ink pen refill consists of a single writing point connected to an elongated barrel in which gel ink is stored in distinctly colored layers. At the proximal end of the barrel, just behind the most proximal color band of ink, a quantity of grease is inserted in the barrel to seal the ink within the barrel. In manufacturing the ink pen refill, after installing the elongated barrel on the proximal end of the writing point, a quantity of gel ink of a first particular color is inserted within the barrel just proximal of the writing point using a filling pipe. When the desired quantity of ink has been so inserted, the elongated barrel with the writing point is placed in a centrifuge and is centrifuged to remove any air bubbles contained within the ink. Next, the next color of gel ink is dispensed into the barrel just proximal of the first layer of ink. The entire refill is again centrifuged to remove any bubbles from the newest layer of ink. This process is repeated over and over again until each of the layers of gel ink have been dispensed into the elongated barrel. When the last color has been dispensed, a layer of grease is inserted at the proximal end of the barrel to seal the ink layers in place. In an alternative method, one may fill the elongated barrel with a multiplicity of diverse colors by filling two or more colors for each centrifuging operation.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An ink pen refill, comprising: 
       a) a writing point having a proximal end to which is attached an elongated barrel having an axis of elongation;  
       b) said elongated barrel having an ink reservoir;  
       c) said reservoir being fluidly connected to said writing point, said writing point receiving ink from said reservoir and said writing point being adapted to dispense said ink;  
       d) said ink being contained within said reservoir in a plurality of layers of ink, each layer having a distinct single color or a pattern caused by mixing of plural colors within a said layer, and adjacent layers being separated by a distinct dividing line generally perpendicular to said axis of elongation.  
     
     
       2. The refill of claim  1 , wherein all of said layers of ink have a substantially equal specific gravity. 
     
     
       3. The refill of claim  1 , wherein at least one layer of ink consists of at least two separate colors mixed together. 
     
     
       4. The refill of claim  1 , wherein said ink comprises gel ink. 
     
     
       5. The refill of claim  1 , wherein just proximal of a most proximal layer of ink, a layer of grease is located within said reservoir to seal said layers of ink therein. 
     
     
       6. The refill of claim  5 , wherein said grease is chosen from the group consisting of silicone grease and polybuden grease. 
     
     
       7. The refill of claim  1 , wherein said barrel is cylindrical. 
     
     
       8. The refill of claim  1 , wherein a most distal layer of ink has a first specific gravity and layers of ink proximal to said most distal layer of ink have a substantially equal larger specific gravity. 
     
     
       9. The refill of claim  1 , wherein a most proximal layer of ink has a silver color. 
     
     
       10. A method of making an ink pen refill, including the steps of: 
       a) providing a refill having a writing point with a proximal end to which is attached an elongated barrel, said barrel having an ink reservoir fluidly connected to said writing point;  
       b) dispensing a first layer of ink into said reservoir;  
       c) centrifuging said refill to remove air bubbles from said first color ink;  
       d) dispensing a second layer of ink into said reservoir; and  
       e) centrifuging said refill to remove air bubbles from said second color ink;  
       f) said first and second layers of ink having diverse colors or patterns.  
     
     
       11. The method of claim  10 , wherein said centrifuging steps consist of centrifuging said refill for a period of 50 to 70 seconds at a speed of 700 to 900 rpms. 
     
     
       12. The method of claim  10 , wherein said first and second layers of ink have a substantially equal specific gravity. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim  10 , wherein said first layer of ink has a higher specific gravity than that of said second layer of ink. 
     
     
       14. The method of claim  13 , wherein said first layer of ink has a silver color. 
     
     
       15. The method of claim  10 , further including the step of, after said second centrifuging step, inserting a layer of grease into said reservoir. 
     
     
       16. The method of claim  15 , wherein said grease is chosen from the group consisting of silicone grease and polybuden grease. 
     
     
       17. A method of making an ink pen refill, including the steps of: 
       a) providing a refill having a writing point with a proximal end to which is attached an elongated barrel, said barrel having an ink reservoir fluidly connected to said writing point;  
       b) dispensing a first color ink into said reservoir;  
       c) dispensing a second color ink into said reservoir;  
       d) centrifuging said refill to mix said first and second color inks together and remove air bubbles therefrom; and  
       e) dispensing a third color ink into said reservoir;  
       f) centrifuging said refill to remove air bubbles from said third color ink.  
     
     
       18. The method of claim  17 , wherein said centrifuging steps consist of centrifuging said refill for a period of 50 to 70 seconds at a speed of 700 to 900 rpms. 
     
     
       19. The method of claim  17 , wherein said first and second color inks have a substantially equal specific gravity. 
     
     
       20. The method of claim  17 , further including the step of, after said second centrifuging step, inserting a layer of grease into said reservoir. 
     
     
       21. An ink pen refill, comprising: 
       a) an elongated barrel having an axis of elongation;  
       b) a writing point attached to an end of said barrel;  
       c) said elongated barrel having an ink reservoir;  
       d) said reservior being fluidly connected to said writing point, said writing point receiving ink from said reservior and said writing point being adapted to dispense said ink;  
       e) said ink being contained within said reservoir in a plurality of layers of ink, each layer having a distinct single color or a pattern caused by mixing of plural colors within a said layer, and adjacent layers being separated by a distinct dividing line generally perpendicular to said axis of elongation.  
     
     
       22. A method of making an ink pen refill, including the steps of: 
       a) providing a refill having an elongated barrel to which is attached a writing point, said barrel having an ink reservoir fluidly connected to said writing point;  
       b) dispensing a first layer of ink into said reservoir;  
       c) centrifuging said refill to remove air bubbles from said first color ink;  
       d) dispensing a second layer of ink into said reservoir; and  
       e) centrifuging said refill to remove air bubbles from said second color ink;  
       f) said first and second layers of ink having diverse colors or patterns.  
     
     
       23. A method of making an ink pen refill, including the steps of: 
       a) providig a refill having an elongated barrel having an axis of elongation to which is attached a writing point, said barrel having an ink reservoir fluidly connected to said writing point;  
       b) dispensing a first layer of ink into said reservoir;  
       c) dispensing a second layer of ink into said reservoir, said layers being axially aligned; and  
       d) said first and second layers of ink having diverse colors or patterns.  
     
     
       24. The method of claim  23 , further including the step of maintaining a dividing line between said layers of ink. 
     
     
       25. An ink pen refill, comprising: 
       a) an elongated barrel having an axis of elongation;  
       b) writing point means attached to said barrel for dispensing ink;  
       c) said elongated barrel having ink reservoir means for storing ink;  
       d) said ink reservoir means being fluidly connected to said writing point means, said writing point means receiving ink from said ink reservoir means and said writing point means being adapted to dispense said ink;  
       e) said ink being contained within said ink reservoir means in a plurality of axially aligned regions of ink, each region having a distinct single color or a pattern caused by mixing of plural colors within a said layer.